Le Sommelier brings in the Sottimano Langhe from Piedmont.
The lovely Sottimano family, including Andrea, Anna, Elena & Rino.
In this Saturday’s VINTAGES release, the LCBO will be releasing a wine that, in my opinion, is a gorgeous, focused expression of Nebbiolo. In fact, the Sottimano Langhe Nebbiolo DOC is likely my favourite “value” Nebbiolo, one which I enjoy when I don’t have the patience to wait for one of Sottimano’s incredible Barbarescos to mature. The wine is complex and structured, and certainly built for medium term cellaring, but it has so much to offer in the short term, it’s difficult to stay away!
The gorgeous Sottimano estate vineyards drowning in Piemonte’s famous fog.
The 2013 Sottimano Langhe Nebbiolo DOC is produced exclusively from the historical and prestigious, high altitiude Basarin vineyard in the Neive area of Piedmont, Italy. Relative to their old vine Barbaresco, of which they make four single vineyard wines, ranging from 50-80 year old vines, the Langhe Nebbiolo is made from vines that are 20-25 years old. In the family’s eyes, these are young vines, which cannot yet express the richness of polyphenols or all the aromas and the “nuances” that an important cru like Basarin has the potential to produce. It’s for this reason that they decided to declassify the wine from Barbaresco DOCG to Langhe Nebbiolo DOC, making this wine a incredible value.
I’m also thrilled to read that I’m not the only person excited about this release. The Sottimano Langhe Nebbiolo is among Master Sommelier John Szabo’s Top Picks on WineAlign.com from this release. Read his full review below, as well as that of Antonio Galloni’s, both of whom rated this wine 92 points!
I hope you will take my advice and buy a few bottles, to be enjoyed over the next few months (I suggest decanting it for 1-2 hours) or hide it in your cellar for a few years, and you will be rewarded. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Le Sommelier
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Sottimano Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2013
Reviews:
“Sottimano’s Langhe Nebbiolo has been a regular smart buy for me over the years, composed as it is of declassified cru Barbaresco (Basarin cru) with younger vines that don’t yet fit in to Andrea’s excellent top tier crus. 2013 has afforded a particularly elegant and floral example, though with tannic force and depth that belie the basic Langhe designation. This is a wine of real depth and class, structured and serious, and in need of another 2-4 years minimum to come into its own. But don’t tell Sottimano, lest he start blending these lots into the more expensive Barbaresco. Tasted September 2016. Value Rating: ***” – Score: 92 (John Szabo, MS, WineAlign.com, Oct 6, 2016)
“The 2013 Langhe Nebbiolo is a real stunner. Translucent and weightless in the glass, with tons of pure pedigree, the 2013 hits all the right notes. Sweet lavender, mint, violet and sage notes lift from the glass in a precise, aromatic Nebbiolo to enjoy over the next decade or so. What a gorgeous wine this is. Sottimano’s Langhe Nebbiolo emerges from Barbaresco-designated vineyards in the Basarin vineyard. Drinking window: 2016-2022.” Score: 92 (Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, Dec. 2015)
Varietal: 100% Nebbiolo
Region: Piedmont, Italy
Price: $29.95 (per bottle)
LCBO#: 454017 (click here to find it at a nearby LCBO)
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